Delving Into the Psychological Aspects of Living with Parkinson’s Disease

Living with Parkinson’s disease can take its toll on a person not just physically but psychologically as well. Feeling anxious, angry, discouraged or downright depressed is common as the brain is undergoing a number of chemical changes. Approximately 40-70 percent of Parkinson’s sufferers experience bouts of depression while 20 percent of these are considered a major depressive disorder. Anxiety or panic attacks are common psychological elements of the disease as well. An average of 70 percent of people who have pre-existing depression also develop anxiety whereas 90 percent who first experience anxiety fall victim to depression. Dementia is evidenced in 20-30 percent of sufferers and this gradual decline first starts with slowness in thought and advances to a difficulty in properly organizing thoughts. Memory loss is common as is a general feeling of apathy. There is a silver lining however in that Parkinson’s disease sufferers can develop adequate coping skills to deal with psychological aspects of their condition.

It is important to learn all that you possibly can about the disease, including your prognosis, the options for treatment, lifestyle changes that might be necessary and possible side effects. Patients need to take a proactive role in their own life by taking control of their treatment and making decisions for themselves.

Maintaining a strong support system goes a long way in preserving psychological health. Always keep the lines of communication open with your spouse, children and other family members or friends. Support groups can be extremely helpful in coping with the disease as well. Here you can talk with others who share the same fears and concerns about their condition as you do.

Do everything you possibly can to cut down on stress at work. Many people can still work at full or part time jobs but must learn to approach their jobs differently. Break your job down into parts or tasks in order not to become exhausted or overwhelmed by the work at hand. Devise a schedule whereby the most challenging tasks are done when your symptoms are not at their worst. Options you might consider are working from home (telecommuting), switching from working full time to part time and/or changing jobs perhaps to do lighter work or to be closer to home.

For those sufferers who are finding it difficult to cope psychologically with their disease there are things that can be done in order to retain a good quality of life and to also maintain a sense of control over what at times feels like an out of control life situation. No matter what your specific circumstances are, always try to take time out of every day to participate in things you enjoy doing. Maybe this takes the form of watching a favorite television program, enjoying a bath or calling up a friend to chat. Never underestimate the power of doing what you love. Keep in mind that your doctor and/or health care practitioner is on your side and should always be available to answer any and all of your health concerns relating to symptoms, the progression of the disease, treatments, etc.